


Habits of the Heart

by Lunabellie



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling, Emotional Support, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Team 7 - Freeform, Team 7 angst, co dependence, non sexual or romantic sleeping together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 01:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8645473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunabellie/pseuds/Lunabellie
Summary: He wasn’t sure what to expect, but Sakura was decidedly one of the last things on his list of expectations. She stood there, shuffling her slippers and looking at the ground whilst rugged up in a fluffy white bathrobe that looked slightly frayed with age. She asked whilst biting her lip if she could stay the night.
 
Basically Naruto and Sakura supporting each other after Sasuke leaves.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Quick warning for spoilers for anyone who hasn't read/seen how Naruto 'ends'.

It began with a mission, as a majority of things in the world of Shinobi began. They were thirteen and recently stung with a loss they had never been given the chance to comprehend before. It wasn't death, but it felt very close to it. It physically hurt the two of them to think of the fresh betrayal; whilst they appreciated Shikamaru for filling in as Sasuke's replacement, they couldn't help but feel a lump of emotion catch in their throats whenever they turned to speak to Sasuke only to find Shikamaru in his place. Shikamaru seemed to understand and kept his distance, deciding to try and let them become accustom to their missing teammate.  Kakashi was no better. His eyes didn't seem to meet his two students whenever he spoke to them, and in summary Shikamaru found the whole team to be a quaking mess of guilt. Each member of team Kakashi blaming themselves for Sasuke's betrayal.

 

The guilt in particular brought on fresh waves of loneliness for Naruto. Finally, he thought, he'd found a friend who felt the same way about him. A friend who understood him more than anyone else could. Through their own separate loneliness they'd found a bond- one that Naruto was sure could not be broken. Now he wasn't so certain. Could a bond last if one person didn't want it? He wasn't sure.

 

He found himself clinging on harder to his other friends, trying to make more of an effort to be around them when he could. He thought it brought them closer together, and assured himself that it meant he wasn't really all alone- he still had them. It also distracted him from the gaping hole in his chest that Sasuke had ripped out. When he was with them, they managed to distract him from whatever pain Sasuke left. It was the nights that were the worst. He found himself unable to sleep, and when he did finally manage to sleep it was plagued with nightmares of not just Sasuke betraying him, but all of his friends leaving him alone.  He was grateful that no one said anything about the dark circles under his eyes.

 

He'd noticed that he wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep. Sakura's face had matching circles under her eyes that she didn't even bother to cover with make-up. These days she didn't bother to put makeup on at all. She and Naruto went about their days trying to keep up a cheerful facade that would crack whenever anything remotely related to Sasuke was brought up. The result was their friends tip-toeing around them like they were walking over broken glass. 

 

It was this mission that started it all and would have lasting effects for years to come. Kakashi had booked them all a room at an inn on their way home from the mission using the small budget he'd been given. He was reluctant to let them all share a room, as he was trying to be mindful of Sakura, but eventually conceded and let them sort it out. 

 

Shikamaru and Kakashi were already asleep when Naruto and Sakura came to their first conclusion that sleep was going to be a problem for the both of them. They both stared blankly at the ceiling, their minds racing with endless thoughts. At different times they realised the other person was awake. She turned her head and smiled at him through the darkness from the opposite side of the room, where the boys had tried to give her the illusion of some privacy, and beckoned him over with her head.

 

Naruto frowned and hesitated before gathering up futon and dragging it over to her as quietly as he could, inwardly praying he didn't wake up the other two. It would be embarrassing to explain why he was dragging his futon over to a girls'.  

 

He folded it back out next to hers and scrambled into it as quickly as he could. He faced her and mouthed quietly, “What’s wrong?”

 

She shook her head and mouthed back, “Nothing, just can’t sleep.”

 

They eventually shut their eyes, willing sleep to come. He found it easier to sleep like this- with another person beside him. He’d never experienced it before in his life, or if he had he couldn’t remember it. Together they drifted off to sleep, and it was the quickest they’d fallen asleep since Sasuke’s departure.

 

In the morning Naruto awoke first and dragged his futon back to it’s original spot by the wall. He wondered if Kakashi-sensei knew how they’d slept. Nothing seemed to ever get past that man. But he shrugged it off, realising that if Kakashi-sensei wasn’t going to put an end to it or say anything then there wasn’t really a problem.

 

A week later he got out of bed -  _ he still couldn’t sleep well, even when he tried-  _ to the sound of timid knocking on his door. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but Sakura was decidedly one of the last things on his list of expectations. She stood there, shuffling her slippers and looking at the ground whilst rugged up in a fluffy white bathrobe that looked slightly frayed with age. She asked whilst biting her lip if she could stay the night.

 

It was dark outside- well into the night- and cold. Sakura had come all the way from her house to his shitty run-down apartment just to spend the night. His mouth slacked and he stared at her whilst she looked at anything other than him. 

 

“It’s just…” she trailed off and cleared her throat before continuing, “I can’t sleep. The other night on that mission where you slept beside me was probably the first night in ages since I’ve actually slept right. I was just, you know, wondering if I could try and get some sleep here?”

 

His mouth had gone dry, and they lapsed back into silence. When his thoughts caught up to him, he stuttered quickly to respond, “O-of course you can!”

 

She gave him a small smile and he moved aside to let her in. Her nose wrinkled when she took one look at the mess of rubbish and dirty clothes and she sighed. Naruto blushed and quickly ran to tidy up, but she threw up a hand to stop him. 

 

“Don’t worry about it now, I should have known it would look something like this.”

 

He took her to his bedroom and cleared out a space on his floor to roll out the spare futon. It was still brand new, as he’d never had any reason to use it before. She helped him set it up and they both climbed into their beds when they were done.

 

He flicked off the light and tried to settle down whilst nerves practically rattled around inside of him. He’d be lying to say that he didn’t once have romantic feelings for Sakura, although admittedly they’d subsided once he realized how truly dedicated to Sasuke she was. If he really had to think about it, it was a kind of brotherly bond he had with her, rather than anything else. His thoughts bounced around in his head, and questions bubbled at his lips.

 

“Sakura?” He finally gave in, “do your parents know you’re here?”

 

There was a rustle of blankets as she shrugged in the darkness, “Not specifically. They think I’m at Ino’s house.”

 

“Shouldn’t you at least tell them the truth? Won’t they find out?”

 

He looked over to her in time to see her shrug again, “No, it’s better if they don’t know. They won’t find out- I’m pretty independant.”

 

They left it at that. He closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep to the sound of her breathing- a comfort he didn’t know he needed. It was reassuring to know there was someone else with him, that he wasn’t really alone. 

  
  


********

 

“Can we share the bed? I’m not really used to sleeping in a futon all the time.”

 

It was only a few weeks later, and the two of them were slowly becoming accustomed to sleeping together. It was still a little awkward, but the results were rewarding. She stayed over every night, and now neither of them looked like a couple of zombies. Her skin looked healthier, and his eyes looked brighter. If anyone noticed the change, they didn’t mention it. Probably because they were worried it would set them back. 

 

Since she’d been staying, Sakura had made him clean his house more. She helped, but mostly it was him. In return for his hard work of housecleaning she’d make dinner- seeing as she was the only one out of them that could cook. She was teaching him though, because she’d realised immediately that Naruto had no one else that could teach him.

 

“You can just have the bed if you want it, I don’t mind sleeping on the futon.”

 

She frowned over the top of her book and flipped over the page. It was early in the evening, and they were both waiting for the food to cook whilst she read and he studied some new scrolls Jiraya had forced on him. 

 

“How about we take it in turns, that way we both get it?”

 

He looked up and smiled- one of his genuine bright grins for once that flashed all of his teeth and crinkled his eyes, “Sure, sounds great.”

 

********

 

She woke up in tears only two nights later. It was the middle of the night and Naruto was sleeping on the futon below her. She hiccuped and tried to stifle her sobs, but they racked her frame and tears soaked the pillow. The nightmare had seemed so real- so painful. The repeated image of  _ Him _ leaving her- leaving them- flashed over and over in her mind’s eye. She buried her face into the pillow and hoped that she had at least been quiet enough to not wake up Naruto.

 

The bed creaked and dipped, and a hand gently shook her shoulder. 

 

“Sakura, wake up.” Naruto whispered as he shook her, “It’s just a dream. Come on, wake up.”

 

She rolled back over and came face to face with his frowning face. He was worried about her, she realised. He pulled back the covers of his bed and climbed in with her. It was only a single bed, so it was a tight fit, but she made room for him to stay.

 

“You get them too?” He asked, his eyes trained on her face. She could feel concern practically oozing from him, and had to remind herself that this was the dorky, stupid, brightly coloured Shinobi teammate she’d once loathed. He seemed so different now, so compassionate and calm. A juxtaposition of the normal teammate she knew. In the moonlight, dressed in dark pajamas with shadows all around them, he seemed like a whole new person. This, she knew, was the person  _ he _ had brought out.  _ He _ had done this. Perhaps to them both.

 

She offered him a weak smile, mentally tugging herself out of her thoughts, “Yeah. Not normally this bad though. I guess it’s just because his birthday is coming up- you know?”

 

At the mention of Sasuke, Naruto’s face tightened and he looked away. “Yeah, I know.”

 

They lay like that- not touching. He kept himself as far from her as possible- likely to give her some respect and let her know he wasn’t trying to come onto her. It was sweet really, how considerate he could be. It was a side of him she didn’t know existed, and cursed herself for not bothering to take the time beforehand to better understand him. 

 

They stayed awake for awhile after that, each trapped in their own thoughts. She wasn’t sure what to do with this new information of Naruto having nightmares. Although, it made sense. Naruto probably had more than her anyways. After all, he’d done battle with  _ Him.  _ She inhaled sharply, and wondered if Naruto had been having them whilst she was here and she hadn’t noticed. Had he cried into his pillow, just as she had done? Did air seem to escape him like it did for her whenever he dreamt of  _ Him _ leaving? 

 

She couldn’t bring herself to ask. Bringing up  _ Him  _ only hurt them both.

 

********

 

He purposefully ignored the eyes watching him pack. It was just as hard for him as it was for her to think of how they were going to cope without one another. Three years was a long time. After the many months they’d spent sharing each other’s company whilst sleeping, it was impossible to think of spending a night apart. Sure, there had been the occasional nights where one of them wasn’t able to stay. Those nights were usually sleepless for the both of them though, and they tried to avoid it at all costs.

 

No one knew about their sleeping arrangements, and Naruto hadn’t asked again since that first night what Sakura’s parents knew. He figured that she had it sorted, and probably didn’t want him prying. He could respect that. So long as she knew what she was doing.

 

“I’m going to miss you, you know that, right?”

 

He nodded but didn’t look at her. He hazardly shoved another shirt into his bag.

 

She sighed and walked over to him. He glanced at her quizzingly, but she just took his bag and dumped out the contents onto the floor. Naruto went to protest, but she silenced him with a look.

 

“More fits in if you fold it neatly. Let me show you.”

 

They spent the next hour of the afternoon on the floor of his room, packing away his clothes into bags. He learnt that day how to properly pack and organise his stuff. She chatted away idly as they worked, the sun sinking rapidly behind them from his window.

 

“...I hope I can one day become better than Tsunade-sama herself. She really is amazing, and I can understand why everyone has such high praise for her and everything. Of course, that’s why she’s our Hokage, and honestly I couldn’t imagine anyone better for the job. She-”

 

“Sakura, can you stay with Ino some nights?”

 

She halted in her work and looked at him with her wide, green eyes. He could see her thinking it over before she broke into a smile,“You know, I didn’t even think of that.”

He forced a smile and immediately regretted it when she frowned. She took his hand and forced him to look at her. Her gaze was unwavering and fierce as she looked into his eyes, “You’ll be fine, Naruto. Jiraya will be with you. Plus, he’ll teach you everything he knows- isn’t that cool? By the time you get back I bet you’ll be so strong I won’t even recognise you!”

 

He didn’t tell her that he had a sneaking suspicion that Jiraya probably wouldn’t be there every night. But that was fine, he guessed. He would learn to get over it. He wouldn’t mention that on the nights he was alone he found himself short of breath and scared of nothing in particular. The cold dread that washed over him at these thoughts was enough to leave him sombre.

 

“It’ll just…be hard.” He whispered.

 

He couldn’t bare the sad smile she gave him. 

 

That night they didn’t sleep at all- which was a first for them as sleep had never escaped them before when they were together. They faced each other with their hands intertwined and legs tangled together. When the first bright rays of sunlight began to filter through, they fell asleep still holding each other, the dread that came with the next day long forgotten. 

 

********

 

She couldn’t help but marvel at how much Naruto had grown. It was different from the hyperactive child she’d grown up with and more similar to the Naruto she’d come to experience during the nights they’d spent together. Maturity, she labeled it. That was what had changed. Naruto had grown both in mind and body.

 

She was hesitant as she walked to his place. Guilt plagued her as she knew that she selfishly hoped things were still the same for Naruto. Her nightmares hadn’t subsided. She still  couldn’t sleep when she was alone. Ino sometimes let her stay over, but those were monthly occasions and not always frequent. Over the years, she’d learnt how to cover up the signs of her insomnia and stress. Makeup as her best friend when it came to covering the bags under her eyes. Her friends had assumed that it had something to do with Naruto’s absence, and that she could understand. It made sense, seeing as it was half true. Naruto leaving so soon after  _ his  _ betrayal was a new, fresh wound for her to experience alone. But she threw herself into studying and hoped that the strain didn’t show. 

 

“Sakura?”

 

She instantly snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see Ino, Shikamaru and Choji walking towards her. She plastered a smile on her face and walked over to greet them.

 

“Hey, what are you guys doing up so late?” She asked.

 

Shikamaru shrugged and jabbed a thumb in Choji’s direction, “We have a mission coming up later this week and Choji just remembered today that he needed a new set of Kunai since he lost a majority of his old ones in that last mission. Don’t ask.” He grimaced when she raised an eyebrow, “So we all went out to stock up on supplies.”

 

“Oh, then don’t let me keep you.” Sakura told them and went to turn away.

 

“Wait, where are you off to? Don’t you want to join us?” Ino asked and grabbed her hand excitedly, “We can go clothes shopping!”

 

She ignored the simultaneous groans from behind Ino. “No, no, I’m good. I was just out for a walk before bed.” An easy lie. It came to her without her even having to think about it.

 

“Oh, okay.” Ino blinked and retracted herself from Sakura. She had a perplexed frown on her face, but otherwise didn’t question it. From over Ino’ shoulder, Sakura could see Shikamaru wearing a similar expression.

 

“You’re nowhere near your house though,” He pointed out.

 

She shrugged, another lie already on her lips, “Just had a lot to think about. I didn’t realise how far I walked.”

 

He was still frowning when they said their goodbyes, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with knowing that his eyes were following her.

 

She took a detour before making her way to Naruto’s apartment, hoping that at least this way it didn’t look like she was going to see him. Whilst Shikamaru wasn’t one to gossip, she still didn’t like the idea of anyone knowing what she was up to.

 

When she knocked on his door, she was surprised that Naruto threw open his door with a bang and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug whilst simultaneously lifting her off her feet. She batted at his head with pseudo angry hits and demanded he put her down, all while smiling at Naruto’s happy laughter. 

 

“You came! I was worried for a second that you weren’t going to show!”

 

Relief coursed through her. He’d been waiting for her- nothing had changed. He still needed her like she needed him.

 

He pulled her inside and shut the door, and already she could tell he was a bundle of excited nerves. She inwardly smiled at how familiar this was, how she’d missed his boyish attitude. 

 

“Oh, and thank you for the homecoming gift! I really hope you didn’t spend too much on it.”

She brushed his concern aside, “It’s fine. It was kind of for me too, anyways. We couldn’t keep sharing that tiny little bed of yours forever.”

 

He grinned sheepishly at her, “And you kept the place clean. You’re amazing, Sakura.”

 

She laughed, but inwardly she was thinking about how selfish she’d been. She hadn’t really kept it clean for him, though that had been part of the reason. The truth was when she missed him, she came over and just stayed there. She knew Naruto wouldn’t have minded, he’d given her a spare key after all.

 

“So tell me about your trip! I want to hear all about everything you did!”

 

It was like Naruto had been waiting for her to tell him that, because he burst into storytelling mode instantly. They sat on his sofa’s whilst she listened to every detail about his adventures with Jiraya.

 

He continued talking when they climbed into his new double bed together. She didn’t mind, it was a fair trade to listen to his stories in exchange for the good nights sleep that would come her way over the following days. 

 

They stayed awake late into the night, and soon sleep was tugging at her eyelids. She yawned and Naruto broke off in mid story, watching her carefully before he spoke.

 

“Was it hard?”

 

She didn’t have to ask what he was referring to, she just nodded and looked away. It was perhaps one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

 

He took her hand and turned it over, inspecting it closely. She was proud of how calloused her hands were now. It was a symbol of all her hard work. He seemed to know this, because he smiled and rubbed them gently with his fingers. 

 

“It was hard for me too.”

 

They rolled over and went to sleep after that, and Sakura relished in the thought of finally getting some rest. 

 

********

 

Sasuke’s return threw a wrench in their works.

 

He too, was very different. He wasn’t the kid they knew, nor was he the vengeance seeking monster they’d tried to stop. He was like some brand new person- a stranger. He was mostly quiet, and reluctantly tagged along with them when they forced him out of his apartment. He smiled too, which was unexpected, though rare. Naruto decided that eventually he would get used to it, because after all he was still Sasuke. Their bonds hadn’t changed- not really. Just grown.

 

Sasuke’s friends were weird too. They were Konoha’s newest citizens- granted they were kind of still prisoners on probation- and they made a habit of joining in on whatever Naruto and Sakura had decided to drag Sasuke to. Karin reminded Naruto strongly of how Sakura used to be, whilst Suigetsu was a little like an aggressive Kiba. It was the last guy, Juugo, that Naruto couldn’t decided upon. He seemed gentle enough for a guy of his massive size, but Karin and Suigetsu seemed to give him a wide berth. He wasn’t sure what to make of him.

 

Perhaps he should really have been surprised when Sasuke knocked on his door one night. Sakura had stiffened and her head swiveled around in alarm to Naruto. They’d been making dinner together, as normal, and chatting about their day. She quickly washed her hands under the sink faucet and gestured hurriedly for Naruto to answer the door. He spared her a glance over his shoulder as we went to open the door only to see her shutting his bedroom door behind her with a click. He rolled his eyes.

 

Sasuke stood with his hands inside his pockets and the perfect picture of disinterest. If Naruto didn’t know him at all, he would have missed usual signs of Sasuke’s nervous behaviour. It was evident in the subtle curl of his lip, crease in his brow and the way he wouldn’t look at Naruto. Naruto inwardly grinned.

 

“Sasuke!” He said, hoping it was loud enough for Sakura to hear. Maybe she would sneak out through the bedroom window or something, “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’ve got nothing better to do. Let me in, we can go get food later.”

 

He obliged and stepped aside to let him in. He could tell right off the bat that Sasuke was put on edge by the smell of the food bubbling away merrily in the pot. 

 

He craned his head around to look at Naruto, and Naruto felt his stomach flop, “You cook now?”

 

“Uh, yes? I mean, yeah I guess so. I’m not great at it, but I can get by.”

 

Sasuke’s eyes gave him a once over before shrugging, probably deciding he was satisfied with that answer, “Then I guess we can just eat here then.”

 

He smiled, but inwardly he was worried. After all, this was the food he and Sakura had been planning to eat. He really wanted Sasuke to stay, but Sakura was supposed to stay the night like always, and who knew when Sasuke would leave?

 

“Sure…”

 

It was then that Sakura decided to make an appearance. She threw open the bedroom door and, without looking at either of them, went straight to the pot and dished herself up some of the food into a bowl. When she was done, she stormed back into the bedroom and slammed it shut.

 

There was silence for a moment, then-

 

“Sakura is here?”

 

Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, “It’s a long story.”

 

Sasuke’s eyes flashed with some emotion, but it was gone before Naruto had a chance to identify it. 

 

“Uhh, so… make yourself at home?”

 

Sasuke took a seat on Naruto’s sofa with the grace and fluidity of a large feline. Naruto watched him for a second and glanced at his bedroom door before shuffling over to the kitchen to serve them up some food.

 

They ate in uncomfortable silence. He could almost hear the questions buzzing around in Sasuke’s head. He had many of his own anyways, like what the hell was Sasuke doing here and being- dare he say it- sociable? 

 

Sasuke’s spoon clattered noisily on the bottom of the bowl, he seemed to be thinking of how to approach the subject. 

 

“So, you and Sakura are...sleeping together? A couple?”

 

Naruto kind of just wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He was pretty sure Sakura was listening to them from the other side of his bedroom door. 

 

“No! Well, yes-- but not like that!” He hastened to shout when Sasuke raised a thin eyebrow, “We’re just sleeping, that’s all!”

 

“In the same room?”

 

God, he could see how it looked. It was one of the many reasons why he and Sakura never brought it up to their friends and tried their hardest to keep it from them. It looked bad- like they were some couple or something. After all, it wasn’t exactly normal for friends to be that close to one another. Siblings maybe, but friends? A little unheard of. The connotations of two people of opposite sexs sharing the same bed were romantic. It was nothing like that for either of them- they had established that early on. Besides, neither of them was even remotely attracted to the other. He’d decided long ago that she was a sister- a person he loved and trusted but in no way romantic. The platonic love between them, he felt, was mutual. He wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

“Like I said before, it’s complicated.”

 

Sasuke shook his head and leaned forward to set his empty bowl on the coffee table, “Explain it to me then. You have to admit, it looks odd from my perspective.”

 

Oh, but it was odd. It felt fine and great and supportive whilst he and Sakura were together, but when he really sat back and thought about it from another person’s point of view he could see how odd it was. Two people, regardless of their gender and relationship should be able to sleep alone at night. 

 

“Well,” he paused and looked around the room nervously, “It’s just we can’t sleep alone, that’s all.”

 

“You’re going to have to go into detail.”

 

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, not noticing just then how it was damp from sweat, “When you left,” he saw Sasuke stiffen, like he always did when he was reminded of his betrayal, “We couldn’t sleep. We kept having nightmares and stuff and just kept  _ thinking _ \- it was like our brains just wouldn’t shut up long enough for us to sleep. One night we put our futons together and  _ bam! _ We could sleep again. I think we were just so lonely that we couldn’t fall asleep properly. We’ve been doing this ever since you left.”

 

He waited whilst Sasuke mulled this over in his head. He could see the cogs in his brain working, trying to understand the situation whilst realising many different things about his friends at the same time. Now Sasuke knew some of the damage he’d caused by leaving them. Although Naruto would never, ever tell him about the panic attacks he sometimes had in the early hours of the mornings. 

 

“So,” Sasuke finally found his voice, “You’re not a couple then?”

 

“No- God, no! Nothing against Sakura, but I don’t like her that way. She’s more of a sister, you know?”

 

Sasuke seemed satisfied with this answer because he nodded. After a beat he said, “I feel the same way about her. She’s like a sister to me too.”

 

Naruto grinned and then stood. He opened his bedroom door to find Sakura sitting on his bed with her empty bowl in her lap. She was crying- not the harsh, bone racking sobs that often caught her in the middle of the night- but a steady flow of tears running down her cheeks. He took the bowl from her and pulled her into a hug. 

 

“You’re both idiots, you know that?” she said into his shoulder, the words coming out slightly muffled in his shirt.

 

He laughed, “Why are you crying?”

 

She shook her head and stepped away. Wiping her eyes on the back of her hand, she took the bowl and went out to the kitchen/ livingroom. He followed her out and noticed a perplexed looking Sasuke watching her with concerned eyes. They met each other’s eyes and shared a look of exasperation. They’d never understand how Sakura worked.

 

“Do you think we’re weird for doing this?” She asked Sasuke over her shoulder. She gave a vague gesture to the room with her hand. Sasuke shrugged.

 

“It’s a little weird, but I’ll get used to it.”

She turned and gave him a watery smile, then padded over to where he sat to hug him. 

 

“You’re like a brother to me too. Both of you.”

 

Naruto couldn’t remember ever feeling elated yet so sad at the same time. Sasuke had hurt them in so many ways, ways Sasuke himself might never know, and yet he’d brought them all together.

 

He couldn’t ask for a better friend.

 

********

 

Years later, everyone knew about Sakura and Naruto’s sleeping arrangement. They more or less accepted it, although they’d each admit it was weird at first. However, it was no longer just the two of them sharing a bed- Sasuke had joined the party.

 

They’d been reluctant to let him stay over the first time. After all, Naruto and Sakura had felt that the nights they spent together were sacred to them. These nights were spent talking to each other until they fell asleep about the things that were bothering them. In the past, they had been about Sasuke himself. They reminisced about him, spoke angrily about their frustrations against him but mostly they cried over what they had lost. In the dark, their emotions were amplified and felt like they needed to be expressed. When morning came, neither of them spoke about it. 

 

Sasuke had admitted to having his own troubles sleeping- although vaguely- and flippantly suggested he stay the night. So they rolled out the futon, and Sakura volunteered to sleep on it for that night. Gradually, Sasuke kept visiting and staying. Eventually, the three of them purchased what was called a ‘super sized king bed’ to comfortably fit them all.

 

Sakura said nothing about their relationship, and in return both Sasuke and Naruto didn’t bother to hide it. On the nights they wanted some ‘alone time’, Sakura would stay over at Ino’s house (on the strict condition that when she returned the sheets  _ better  _ have been washed and disinfected with their strongest chemical substance).

 

Naruto and Sakura learnt that Sasuke prefered to not be touching anyone whilst he slept, and in turn Sasuke learnt that Naruto prefered to sleep in the middle and steal all the bed space and blankets (so much for trying not to touch anyone whilst he slept), and Sakura liked to wear socks in bed. It became the norm for them, and eventually they just decided to move to a bigger place all together.

 

Their friends didn’t really understand it, but accepted that it was what worked for them. That was all Team 7 could really ask. Kakashi-sensei didn’t seem to mind either, and would occasionally pop around for dinner. 

 

It was the family Naruto had always wanted, and Sasuke had thought he’d lost. One day, they knew, Sakura would move out and find someone else to share her life with. But at that moment, as the three of them snored away in their shared bed, they were the happiest they’d been in a long time. 

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BULLSHIT I WROTE? oh well.
> 
> This concept has been sitting with me for awhile now. The idea of Naruto and Sakura depending on each other as friends after Sasuke leaves made me itch to write. It always bothers me how boy and girl friendships almost always have to be romantic- or at least in my life they are. I live for platonic friendships just as much as I live for romance.   
> I spiced it up with Sasuke finding out and being unsure of how to react. It's almost like a kick in the teeth for him to actually see how badly the two of them have been affected by his absence. Plus the added salt to wound he gets when he thinks they've been having a romantic relationship behind his back.   
> All in all, I just wanted some Team 7 angst.   
> I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
